The Invasion CommencesNow
by MollyMega
Summary: Zim and Dib are in high school...and still rivals. Dib is becoming desperate to destroy Zim, but the Irken has come up with a plan that even Dib feels he can't foil.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own anything having to do with Zim. I know, what a shock, eh? Except for Kit, I made her up.but anyone can use her if they want to!  
  
Sorry about all the spelling mistakes when I first uploaded it. something went haywire with my computer. Hopefully they're all fixed now.  
  
Invader Zim: The Invasion Commences.Now  
  
Dib sat at his desk, staring blankly at the wall. His science book lay open on the desk, along with a notebook of messy notes, both of which were being ignored. His mind couldn't concentrate on the work before him, it could only think of one thing: the destruction of Zim.  
  
Dib sighed, pulling himself out of his little "mind warp", and exited his room. Gaz was sitting on the couch, playing her Game Slave 9, with the television blaring. "You finish your homework?" Dib asked dutifully. "Did you?" Gaz retorted, not glancing up from the game. Dib's eyes narrowed, but his mouth remained shut.  
  
"Buy your Superiorly Advanced Super Duper Game Slave 10x! Only looooser still play with the ancient version nine. Get your new Game Slave tomorrow, but better hurry, only a limited amount will be sold." Gaz's eyes shot up at the television, growing wider with each word it spoke. "I have to get one!" She yelled, jumping up. The Game Slave fell from her hands, unnoticed, as she rampaged about the house looking for some money. "But you just got this one a month ago. What's the big difference between version nine and version ten billion anyway?" Gaz stopped, turning on her brother, "You'll never get it will you." Dib shrugged, "Guess not. Anyway, I'm heading out. Will you be okay by yourself?"  
  
Gaz made a great show of rolling her eyes, and saying with an exasperated tone, "Of course, I'm almost sixteen you know. I don't need a babysitter, got it? Where you going, anyway? I thought you had that big science test tomorrow." Dib shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact as he stood. "Um, well, I'm going to go spy on Zim. He's up to something, I know it."  
  
"Zim is always up to something, Dib! Dad was really mad you bombed your last test. You better not do it again." Dib opened his mouth to reply, paused, and glared; "You're the one who told him about the test? I got grounded for a week. Gazzz, how could you?" Gaz smiled, not her normal evil one, but somewhat of a sad one. She spoke softly, something out of character for her, "How many years have you been after Zim? Five, six, seven years? You've tried to capture him countless times, and failed each time. Your grades have suffered through junior and high school, all because of one person. Dib, you're a junior, next year will be your last year of high school," She paused, shrugging as her tone returned to normal, "But its not like I care about you or your stupid grades." She scooped up her fallen Game Slave, vowed to get the new one, and proceeded to the kitchen without another word.  
  
Dib watched his sister leave with a crooked smile on his face. Slowly, he slipped the jacket off his arms, returning it to its rightful spot. "Zim can wait tonight, I'll get him tomorrow." Dib said as he walked up to his bedroom for some vigorous study time. 


	2. Chapter Two

Zim entered school with an arrogant cocky grin on his pale green face. By the look, Dib knew something was up, and he missed it because of the test. He growled angrily, slamming his locker shut. Zim walked up next to Dib, spinning the combination quickly, watching the human out of the corner of his eye. "Something wrong?" He asked in an I-don't-care-so-don't-tell-me tone. He swung the locker open, hitting Dib square in the face. Dib reeled back from the hit, clutching at his forehead as Zim snickered, "Oops, I guess you were standing to close earthanoid." Dib blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear his blurred vision, "Watch where you open locker next time, alien low life." He stumbled into a large solid object, still clutching his head. Slowly, he lifted his head to see Smackie, looming overhead. "Something wrong here, master Zim?" Smackie asked.  
  
Smackie was three feet taller (and two wider) since the last time he had picked on Dib in elementary school. Normally, Dib avoided Smackie's type, since he had only seemed to stretch taller in the years passed. He still used glasses, and still had the scythe-like hair that the other members of high school found amusing (as well as his large head). Only one main change occurred, and that was Dib's clothing: he had dropped the paranormal look a bit and wore what basically everyone else wore. Zim, on the other hand, had made drastic changes over the years. It had become increasingly obvious that he had not grown over a period of three years, which was not human. So, after many "shorty" comments from the growing Dib, Zim locked himself down in his lab, emerging three days later three feet taller. Later, Dib learned that Zim's sudden growth spurt was actually an invention that consisted of metal, wires, a small hover device, and a rubber piggy (um, Gir decided to help). Because most humans don't have wire-looking legs, Zim had been forced to add a few adjustments to his Irken outfit, such as baggier pants, which the alien has despised since.  
  
"How many times have I told you, Smackie?! Don't call me master Zim! Just Zim." Smackie blinked, nodded gravely, and returned to looming over Dib. "Something wrong here, Just Zim?" Zim sighed loudly, hitting his forehead, "You idiotic earth slug! No, nothing is wrong. Go!" Smackie gave Dib a warning look before stalking away. Zim pursed his lips in concentration as Dib regained his composure. "What did you do to him?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't play innocent with me, Zim. Something is different with Smack, and it has something to do with you."  
  
Zim barked with laughter, "Dib, Dib, Dib, don't be stupid. Nothing is wrong with him." Zim's tone suggested that Dib drop the subject at hand now, but he ignored the silent warning.  
  
"There is and you know it. I'll find out what you did to him and stop you." Dib jutted out his lower lip as if to emphasize his point.  
  
Zim's laughter paused as he squinted an eye, "Oh will you, Dib? This is over your head this time. Even you're to late to stop me now." He resumed his laughter before vanishing into a crowd of passing students. Dib stood frozen in place, struggling to process what Zim had just said.  
  
"Hey, there you are Dib! Woah, what happened to your head?" He glanced up to see a familiar face walking towards him. She was one of Dib's friends, one of his closer friends. "Hey Kit, Zim banged his locker against my head. It's fine, doesn't even hurt anymore," he lied, forcing a smile. Kit crossed her arms over her chest, "That clumsy alien! I ought to pound his green flesh into the pavement!" Dib quirked an eyebrow while smiling, "Maybe later I'll help you, but right now, we're going to be late for class."  
  
---  
  
"And to get the variable by itself you must get it out of the denominator by multiplying its reciprocal." The teacher's voice was even and dull, his eyes not even looking at half of the students who were asleep, drooling on their desks. It was all elementary work to a superior Irken as himself. He has figured, by the way his fellow students had talked, that high school would be exceedingly hard, but being a junior, he was still waiting for it to become difficult. He yanked out a notebook, along with a pen, scribbling, 'Note to self: When I become ruler of the world, I must make the education level of this planet much harder.' He flipped through the pages of the notebook, skimming over the many "Notes to self" about when he became the ruler. His number one priority was to rid himself of Dib, then rid the world of baggy pants. An involuntary shudder passed over the alien, oh how he despised the baggy pants. They were so.baggy.  
  
He would only have to suffer with the bagginess of the baggy pants for a little more time, because he had a new plan. A brilliant plan. Not that his other plans weren't brilliant.no, they were all brilliant! But this one, Dib wouldn't be able to foil, no, Zim had made sure of that. He clasped his gloved hands together, rubbing them while starting to crackle in anticipation. He immediately stopped laughing when the teacher and students began to stare at him. Zim cleared his throat, "I, um, caught a human disease." He said, offering a weak cough to emphasize his excuse. The teacher rolled his eyes before returning to the work at hand, as did all the students except for Dib. He quirked an eyebrow in Zim's direction, silent laughter dancing in his eyes. Zim felt his eyes narrow in anger, a growl etched upon his face.  
  
Yes, executing Dib was the first priority when he ruled this revolting filthy planet. 


	3. Chapter Three

I tried to make this chapter longer. I'd appreciate it if you told me if it's any better. Thanks!  
  
Invader Zim: The Invasion Commences.Now  
  
"Can you believe how hard that test was in science? I studied for TWO hours, and I think I failed it."  
  
"You didn't study for two hours. But I admit, it was hard. What do you think Dib? Dib? Hey Diiiiiiibbbb!"  
  
Dib jerked at the sound of his voice. "Huh? What?"  
  
It was lunch, a welcomed break from the grueling classes of high school. The food, or at least the lunch lady said it was food, smelled awful. Dib watched in disgust as his friend, Nak, shoveled the substance into his mouth. He practically turned green when the boy asked for his lunch.  
  
"Sure, enjoy it." Dib said, pushing the tray towards Nak. "Yes! Thanks Dib." Dib responded with a distracted nod. His attention was on Zim, who was staring at his glob of food. Smackie seemed to be enjoying his serving, so Zim casually dumped his portion onto Smackie's. Dib wondered what an alien really ate, since Zim couldn't even touch human food. But that wasn't something he should worry about at the moment. He should be more concerned with the strange way Smackie had been acting, and the way Zim had a gloating air about him.  
  
"Dib, what's wrong? You haven't talked at all during lunch." Dib glanced at Kit out of the corner of his glasses, "Nothings wrong. I just had a late night studying for the test."  
  
"Oh. Well, I didn't think it was that hard. I hope I passed."  
  
"My mom said if I failed, no more alien hunts for me." Nak spit between mouthfuls. Kit dodged the half-chewed food, once again looking at Dib. She followed his eye line to Zim, surrounded by a large group of high school students. Her thoughts drifted back to her first day in the strange new world of high school: (hint: this is a flashback!)  
  
"Move out of my way, inferior creature!" Kit yelped as a green boy pushed her out of his way. "Hey, you, don't touch me, ZIM, ever again!" The boy yelled, making his way down the halls. Kit watched his back, a scowl on her face, while on the inside she felt like crying. It was her first day in high school, her first week in this city, and all ready she was being pushed around like a rag doll. "Don't let Zim's stupidity ruin your day." Kit glanced up to see a boy, with normal colored skin, wearing glasses, and his black hair styled in a scythe-like manner, offering his hand to her. "What?" She asked, gripping his hand, and using it as leverage to stand. "Zim, the green kid, don't let his stupidity ruin your day. He's always pushing people around. He thinks just because he's an alien, it makes him more superior than humans. Ha! He can't even stand a drop of water on his skin! How superior is that?" Kit gaped at the large-headed boy, wondering if he should be standing in the crazy-boy home instead of school. "Oh, sorry. I'm Dib, nice to meet you." He offered his hand again for a shake, but it took Kit a few moments to gather the courage to shake it. "I'm Kit."  
  
Over three years had passed since that day. She smirked as she remembered thinking her best friend was crazy, but now she knew the truth. Dib had gathered enough evidence to make her and Nak believe Zim was an extraterrestrial. She looked up at the table where Zim sat across the lunchroom. At some point, the Irken had realized that having "friends" was important to human life, and instantly forced himself into the popular group. It didn't take long to be accepted, though Dib's theory was Zim created some zapper that forced them to like him, and have the group follow Zim's lead. Becoming popular had secured his status as human, so that no matter what Dib or his friends said, Zim would always remain just another green skinned child.  
  
Zim's "rise in power" had also secured the fact that Dib was a permanent social outcast. Whoever associated with him was also proclaimed an outcast and was ignored as well.  
  
Gaz had becoming angry upon hearing the news, and promptly stopped talking to her brother except when out of school. Not that it mattered much to her what others thought, but to be stuck eating with her brother at lunch all they way though high school? She'd rather smash one hundred Game slaves before that happened.  
  
Kit sighed, three years ago she worried she wouldn't fit in, and now, she was just another outcast. "But one with a mission." Dib whispered, as if reading her thoughts. She glanced up at him; he was looking straight at her. "Yeah, one to expose that alien for the scum he is." Kit said, a smiling starting to grow. "And to have his guts spewed across a cold autopsy table!" Nak added, a grin already on his face. Dib put his hand on the middle of the table, then Kit's and Nak's. "We'll get him guys, we'll expose him!"  
  
Zim looked over at his rival, grimacing. Dib had his hand on the table, his two friend's hands covering his. "How disgusting. And what are they yelling about?" Zim mused aloud, tapping a finger against his chin. "Smackie!"  
  
"Yes sir?"  
  
"Go find out what those three are talking about and report back to me."  
  
"Yes sir!" 


	4. Chapter Four

Thanks for the reviews! They make me feel all warm and toasty inside! ( Oh, and sorry about putting baggy 600000 times, I didn't realize it! But it brought a tongue twister to mind: The bagginess of baggy pants will be banished. Try it ten times fast!  
  
The Invasion Commences.Now  
  
"I think Smackie is following us."  
  
"You just NOW realized this? He's been walking behind us all the way from school."  
  
"No, I realized it a long time ago. I'm just.stating it now. Why didn't YOU say something earlier, if you knew about it? Huh, Kit?"  
  
Dib listened partially to his friends' bickering. It seemed they did it a lot, but most of the time they were just joking. At least, he hoped they were joking. He pulled out of his thoughts to focus on the argument.  
  
"No, he's been following us since lunch."  
  
"Nu-huh! It's been since sixth hour! He didn't follow us after lunch.oh wait, he was following YOU, wasn't he? I know! He likes you, and now he's stalking you!"  
  
Nak grinned at the sight of Kit's disgusted expression, "Yuck, no way! That baboon is disgusting, and besides, he hangs onto Zim like a leech."  
  
It was true. If Dib had to choose who Zim's closest 'friend' was, he'd say Smackie. Especially today, Dib thought. It was like he needed Zim to think for him. Smackie was a rather intelligent student, as far as the morons he went to school with; except for today he was like a zombie.  
  
"Maybe he wants help with homework."  
  
"Smackie? I doubt it."  
  
The two continued on with their conversation, oblivious to the fact that Dib had remained quite so far. Usually, Dib was right in the middle of a debate, but something was really bothering him about Smackie.  
  
"Let's ditch him."  
  
"Yeah, but how? Any ideas? Dib?"  
  
Dib shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at their follower. Yes, Smackie was obviously following them, and had been for a while.  
  
"Let's go to my house. He can't follow us inside." Dib suggested, turning down the street that led to his house. Gaz was shuffling down the road ahead of them, eyes intent on the Game Slave clutched in her hands. She went into the house; Dib, Nak, and Kit close behind. Nak slammed the door shut, taking a lookout post by the window. Gaz perched herself on the couch, never blinking since it might cost the game. "What game is that?" Kit asked, plopping down beside the younger girl. "Revenge of the kangaroo catchers. I'm on the last level." Gaz replied through clenched teeth. "Oh wow! I can't even get past the second level on mine."  
  
Dib watched the two converse with a half smile before turning to Nak. "Does she ever put it down?" he asked, referring to Dib's sister and her addiction to video games. "Only to eat and sleep. She even plays it during school, managing to get good grades and not be caught. I don't know HOW she does it." Nak laughed, then pressed his face against the front window, "He's standing at the front door."  
  
"Who, Smackie?"  
  
"Yeah, take a look." Dib stepped over to look out the window. Sure enough, there was Smackie, standing on his doorstep, staring at the door. Dib sighed, walking over and swinging the door open. "Smackie what are you doing? Why are you following us?"  
  
Smackie blinked in shock. He had been noticed? But he had taken such precautions so as not to be caught, like staying AT LEAST three feet behind them. "Um, I was, uh, not following you." He stammered nervously. Dib rolled his eyes, "Right. You're only standing on my doorstep for no reason then?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Smackie! Come on, what's up? Did Zim send you?"  
  
Smackie could feel his eyes go wide in shock. Dib knew about Zim's mission? "Yes, Just Zim sent me. He told me to follow you, and listen to you. Talk some more, I didn't hear you earlier." Kit had now jumped off the couch to stand beside Dib, "Um, Dib.I think we need to talk about this.." Dib readily agreed, as did Nak. The three huddled in the corner, talking in hushed tones.  
  
"What is Zim up to? Sending Smackie to spy on us? He's running low on ideas, isn't he? Being around the morons has finally rubbed off."  
  
"I don't know. Nak, why don't you take Smackie home, he lives by you right? Good, make sure he goes inside and doesn't follow you home. I'll talk to you later tonight."  
  
Nak grabbed Smackie by the arm, dragging him out of the house, "Come on, Smack. I'm taking you home, you've had a loooong day."  
  
"But-"  
  
The door shut. Kit let out a sigh of relief, "Finally he leaves. That guy was giving my major creeps." She glanced at Dib, who was once again deep in thought. "Dib, what's wrong?" Dib sighed, "I was just thinking about what Zim told me today. He said I was over my head, and it had something to do with Smackie. What if he's right? What if that alien came up with a plan that we can't foil?" Kit chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, "Well, we'll just try. It's always worked before. We'll keep a close eye on Smackie and Zim. Don't worry about it." Dib allowed a small smile of hope to light up his feature, "Yeah, you're right. Come on, Mysterious Mysteries will be coming on soon, I don't want to miss it."  
  
Gaz stole a quick glance up from her Game Slave, "Why do you watch that show, anyway? All they show is reruns anymore."  
  
Kit opened her mouth to retort, but Dib intervened, "You'll just never get it will you." 


	5. Chapter Five

I hope this is a cliffhanger of some sort. I tried!! If it is really bad, please tell me! Thanks!  
  
The Invasion Commences. . . Now  
  
Zim's fingers strummed over the smooth surface of his armrest. "That incompetent fool! I should have never relied on a human earth toad. What could possibly take him so long?" He growled aloud to the air. His fingers, and thoughts, were stilled by a familiar voice that rang through the air, "Maaasterrrr!"  
  
Zim suppressed a sigh, "What, Gir?"  
  
"Where are youuuu?"  
  
"In the lab." He replied, listening to the sounds of scurrying up above in the kitchen.  
  
"Okay, here I comeee!" A series of thumps and bumps filled the elevator before the little robot rolled out with a bowl tucked under one arm. "Hi Master!" He chirped, trotting over. "I made dinner!" Zim glanced over at his robot servant and frowned, "What exactly is it?"  
  
Gir reached into his head, withdrawing a spoon and jamming into the bowl. He pulled out the spoon, full of a thick, lumpy substance. Zim felt his stomach tighten at the sight, as he pulled away from the spoon. He straightened to peer in the bowl, but immediately closed his eyes at the sight. The same substance on the spoon filled the bowl, bubbles forming on the top in a most disgusting manner. "It's all my favorite foods mixed together! I call it My Favorite Foods Dish!" Gir yelled, thrusting the spoon at Zim. A bit of 'My Favorite Foods Dish' fell to the floor with a large pop, a tendril of smoke rising from where it landed. The Irken yelped, shaking his head vigorously, opening his mouth to utter an excuse about not being hungry when an alarm went off.  
  
"Intruder on the premises. DNA is human male." The computer paused, "Analysis complete. Human is Smackie." Zim breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, computer." He said with complete earnest, running to the elevator. Gir watched his master disappear up the shaft, before turning to his latest food creation and shoveling it into his mouth.  
  
Zim popped out on the ground level of his home, making slight adjustments to his costume. "Finally." He muttered, opening the door to reveal Smackie standing there. "Get in, quick! Were you followed?" He yanked the human boy in, slamming the door shut behind him. Smackie looked around with a dazed expression, "No, I don't think so, Just Zim. Though there was one boy who seemed to go the same places I went." Zim sighed loudly, "So you were followed?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then the person follow-going the same places you were, left?"  
  
"No, he's outside."  
  
Zim grimaced, "Perhaps I should work on your brain's effectiveness. It doesn't seem.effective." Smackie shrugged, "Sure." Zim stalked over to his front window, gazing out into his front yard. His computer would alert him of any presence within the perimeter, especially after he upgraded the defenses. It now did a DNA scan so he knew what the person looked like, if it was human or not, and his or her name. It had come in quite handy, except on certain times . . .(quick flashback!)  
  
"INTRUDER ON PREMISIS! DNA IS DIB! ALERT, ALERT!" Zim sprang from his chair, abandoning his 'Plastic Wombat' experiment. When he arrived at the front door, after whipping it open so hard that it hit him in the head, he saw only a bird bouncing along the sidewalk. He shooed the bird away, yelling from outside, "Computer! That was a bird, not the human Dib!" He stalked back to the front door, when he heard the alarm bell ring again. "INTURDER ON PREMISIS! DNA IS UNKNOWN! ALERT, ALERT!" Zim had turned just in time to see his gnome's eyes glow red . . .  
  
The alien shuttered at the memory, pushing Smackie toward the toilet located in his kitchen. It had taken a few more tests before the computer's program worked properly. "Smackie, go ahead and flush yourself on down. I'll-"  
  
"Intruder on premises. DNA is human male. Analysis complete. Human is Nak." Zim gritted his teeth together, it was the lard boy that was always with Dib. "Go down, Smackie. I'll take care of this problem."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Yeah, he hasn't left his house at all. I took him home, and he stayed."  
  
"Really? I was sure he'd head over to Zim's tonight. I guess I was wrong."  
  
Nak shrugged, and then realized his friend hadn't seen the gesture since they were talking on the phone. "Don't worry about it, Dib." He could hear the boy's sigh from the other end of the line.  
  
"Are you done with the phone yet? You spend way to much time talking on the phone for a guy!"  
  
"Shut up, and go away!"  
  
"Your sister?" Dib asked upon hearing the yells.  
  
"Yeah, she's so annoying-hey! Smackie is leaving his house." Nak climbed off his bed to look out the window. Sure enough, Smackie had just exited his home and was crossing the street. "I knew it! Nak, follow him. Bring the walkie-talkie with you. I'll call Kit, and we'll catch up with you, okay? Don't let him get out of sight!" Dib ordered, waiting until he heard an agreement from Nak before hanging up.  
  
"Walkie-talkie, walkie-talkie, there you are!" Nak scooped it up, running out of his room. He bumped into his sister, who gave a started shriek, and out the front door. The walkie-talkie was actually a headset, which he slipped on his head, attaching the main part to his belt. "Testing, testing." Dib's voice crackled over the speakers. "I hear you, Dib." Nak said into the microphone that was level with his mouth. "Good, I'm calling Kit now, tell me where you are headed." Nak glanced up at the nearest street sign, reading it off to Dib. The two boys agreed to stay in contact, calling at least every five minutes.  
  
It was quite a ways to Zim's house on foot, and Smackie was a fast walker. Nak was breathing hard by the time he saw Zim's glowing green house. He hung back as Smackie crossed the gnome-dotted yard and up to the men's bathroom door. "He just went in, Dib. I'm going to hide behind the fence. Don't call me; Zim might intercept the message or something. I'll contact you." Nak said in a rush, turning off the walkie-talkie before Dib could reply.  
  
He crept up to the fence, squatting down before peeping over the edge. The coast seemed clear, but then the front door creaked open. Nak could hear Zim saying something to Smackie before the door slammed shut. A few moments later, the creaking could be heard again. Nak scrambled to the side of the fence, waiting a second before glancing over the top again. No one was in the yard. "Hm?" He mumbled aloud.  
  
"What's wrong, Nak?" Nak gasped, whirling around to see Zim standing before him with a cocky grin on his face, and a laser of some type in his hand. "Zim, no!" 


	6. Chapter Six

Personally, I don't like the way this turned out, so I might revise it later. If you hate it, I'd like your comments on it. Thanks!  
  
The Invasion Commences. . .Now  
  
Dark clouds gathered in the sky like flocks of blackness, turning the sky into a meager gray color. Dib sighed, feeling his mood drop with the weather. Gusts of wind whipped his trench coat around his legs, an old feeling returning to the boy. It had been awhile since he had worn his trench coat. Of course, this one was different than the one he wore in elementary school, but a trench nonetheless. It felt . . . good to be wearing one again.  
  
"Dib!" Kit called, running over. Dib glanced up with a grim smile, "Good, you're here." Kit nodded, pausing to catch her breath, "Yeah, I made it. I can't be gone long, though, or I might be in big trouble. What's the big deal?"  
  
"Smackie left his home. Nak followed him over to Zim's house. I haven't talked to him in ten minutes; we were supposed to call every five. He sent one last message saying not to talk on the walkie-talkie because Zim might intercept the message." Dib summarized quickly, walking as he spoke. Kit kept up easily with his long strides, nodding occasionally. "Do you think he made it in?" She asked in wonder. "With Zim's new security? I doubt it. He's probably just behind the fence, I just hope he remembers not to touch the fence. Zim added a scanner to it."  
  
They trudged along the streets quietly, both lost in their thoughts. Dib worried about Nak, but decided not to voice his worries to Kit and scare her. He's fine, just being paranoid, that's all, he reasoned to himself. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly passed the street sign he had been looking for. "This is where Nak said he first started. I mapped out the way he and Smackie went. Let's follow their trail." Kit agreed.  
  
As they walked, Dib noticed Kit's attention seemed to be on her watch. "What's wrong?" He finally asked as she took another look at it. "I'm worried my mom will find out I snuck out. If she does, I'll be in a heap of trouble."  
  
"You can go home if you want. I'll get Nak."  
  
"And miss out on all the fun? No way!" Dib grinned, "Fine, fine. But if you do get caught, don't blame me." They took a few more steps in silence when the walkie-talkie crackled to life. Dib felt his hopes rise as he whipped on the headset. "Nak? Are you okay? What took you so long to reply? You had us worried sick!"  
  
"Maybe you should be worried, Dib." The voice that crackled over the walkie-talkie caused Dib's blood to freeze as he clutched at the main part. He pulled the headsets off, unplugging them so Kit could hear. "Oh, he probably won't get into to much trouble, especially in a test tube. But then again, I'm not promising anything." The voice continued, oblivious to the terror it had just caused. "Zim." Kit growled, glaring at the walkie- talkie. "Ah, Kit, I knew you'd be there. You really should stop hanging around Dib, because I'm going to destroy him." It was followed with laughter, and a sudden burst of coughing. "Zim, you better not do anything to Nak, or I'll . . ."  
  
"You'll what, Dib?"  
  
"I'll do something really bad, that's what!"  
  
"You amuse me, human. If you weren't such a bug, I'd keep you around for entertainment. But you are a bug, so I'm going to squash you, staring with Nak." Dib felt his stomach drop, glancing up at Kit helplessly. She shrugged, feeling equally as helpless. Zim's voice continued to crackle over the walkie-talkie, which was promptly turned off. "What are we going to do?" Dib mumbled, resting his forehead on a nearby building. "Save Nak, of course." Kit replied. Dib turned to look at her, surprised by the determination he saw there. He could feel a tiny spark of hope light within, "You're right. But first, we'll need some things."  
  
- - -  
  
Zim had gloated for five minutes before he realized the other end of the walkie-talkie was turned off. He sneered; he'd made his point. The walkie- talkie was thrown over the alien's shoulder as he focused on other things. Gir, upon seeing the walkie-talkie, ran and stretched as far as he could to catch it.  
  
He missed. Collecting the pieces into a bundle, he asked, "Master, can I play with your toy?" Zim nodded, hoping it would distract the robot and keep him out of trouble. Gir whooped, trooping over to a corner with his newly acquired plaything. He managed to tangle the headset around his waist, tripping over the cord in the process, and causing a big commotion. But Zim didn't notice, he was to busy smirking at the test tube located in the middle of the room. He wasn't smirking at the tube itself, but at the being inside: Nak. The boy was suspended in a cloudy liquid, wires attached to various parts of his unconscious form. Zim marched up to the glass, the sneer seeming to be permanently stuck on his face. "Now I can finally destroy Zim and finish my invasion!"  
  
He was about to go on about the doom he would inflict on his rival when disgusting eating sounds interrupted him. He turned to see Gir and Smackie sharing a platter of My Favorite Foods Dish. Zim went pale at the sight. "Want to try some now, Master? I made it allll by myself!" Gir declared proudly, standing. "No, Gir, no. Smackie, stop eating that. stuff now. We have work to do."  
  
"Yes, Just Zim. Save some for me later, Gir."  
  
"Okee dokee!"  
  
Smackie stood in front of Zim, waiting for his orders. The alien began to pace, stopped, and then began to pace again. "Whatcha doing, Just Zim?" Smackie finally asked after seeing Zim do the same pattern ten times in a row. "Thinking of how I want to capture Dib. The stink beast will try to rescues Nak, maybe even tonight." He squinted at Smackie with one eye, "Tighten the security. Anyone that sets foot in the perimeter should be burned by the gnomes, got it? That earth worm won't know what disincarnated him!" Zim rubbed his hands together, chuckling softly as Smackie nodded, "Yes sir!" He marched toward a consul, staring at the array of buttons. He scratched his head in confusion, and finally smacked his hand against what he hoped was the keyboard.  
  
Outside of the glowing green house, an innocent little squirrel bounded along the sidewalk. He spied a ripe acorn lying right inside of the fence. He chattered aloud before gaining the courage to race over and grab it. A gnome turned to the squirrel, its eyes focusing directly on the squirrel. The squirrel yelped before the lasers hit. (Don't worry, it's not dead)  
  
Back inside the house, Smackie turned to look at Zim, "Okay, it's done." The alien nodded, smirking back up at the body in the tube. "Now we wait. I'm going to go work some more on the Plastic Wombat experiment. You go do.something important." He walked over to the elevator and disappeared. Smackie looked up at Nak, his face pursed in concentration. Slowly, he shook his head and went in search of another plate of My Favorite Foods Dish. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Wow, how long has it been since I've updated this?! Months?! Years?! Centuries?! I'm exaggerating, I know. But, after suffering from long spells of writer's block, then having the computer die, then beginning the process of moving, I have begun to actually work on this story once more! Aren't you all so happy? Sorry this chapter is short. Next one will be longer, I promise. Oh yeah, these things (~) mean it's a memory. It'll make sense later. Please review and tell me if it makes any sense whatsoever!  
  
Disclaimer: Zim, not mine, drat. Bob Millionaire, can you guess what show that is?  
  
The Invasion Commences . . .Now  
  
"How many things do we actually need, Dib? I feel like I'm going to go start a war, not try to sneak into an alien's house." Kit whined, adjusting the large bag on her shoulders. She glanced back to see Dib once again falling over from the amount of equipment gathered in his arms. He sighed, stumbling up, "Yeah, maybe you're right. Let's dump some of this stuff off at your house, it's closer." Kit eagerly agreed, offering a steady hand to her friend as the two staggered quickly towards her home.  
  
"We have to stay quiet," Kit warned as she slowly opened the back door, "I only home my mom is asleep. Either that, or the Bob Millionaire show is on." She motioned for Dib to tiptoe after her to a hallway closet, stuffing the two bags into it. She quickly forced it shut again and followed Dib towards the door. They were just creeping out when a shrill voice rang through the air, "Kit Lynn Talerty! Where did you think you're going?!"  
  
The girl flinched, slowly turning and forcing a grin, "Hi mom." Dib also turned, turning on his best smile, "Hi Mrs. T."  
  
"Ah, hello Dib dear. How's your father? Good." Kit's mother's kind demeanor immediately vanished as she rounded on her daughter, "It's a school night, young lady! Do you have any idea what time it is? You can't be going out this late."  
  
"But Mom, we have to save Nak! Zim going to take over the world, we have to stop him!"  
  
"You stopped Zim from taking over the world last week. He can wait until the weekend."  
  
"I'm serious, Mom!"  
  
"So am I. Off to bed! Nice seeing you, Dib." The woman shot her child a warning stare, a warm smile to Dib, and quickly made her way back to the television set just as her show started once again. Kit hung her head and sighed, "This is great. Just great." Dib offered an encouraging look as he said, "It's okay, Kit, really. I'll get Nak. I mean, its just Zim. No big deal."  
  
Kit nodded slowly, "Yeah, it's only Zim. Well, I'll keep my walkie-talkie on, okay? Call me if you need any help at all. I'll try to climb down the drainpipe or something. And Dib?"  
  
The boy shouldered his backpack, glancing back at Kit, surprised by the frightened look he saw there, "Yeah?"  
  
"Um . . . Just be careful this time." She threw her arms around him in a quick embrace, pecking his cheek with a kiss before racing up the stairs. Dib stood there momentarily stunned, his cheeks going red as he touched the spot where her lips had met. A goofy grin spread across his features as he began to make his way towards Zim's.  
  
* * *  
  
Nak hadn't moved in a while, in fact, Smackie wondered if his fellow classmate was still alive. He wondered about a lot of things lately. Everything was just a blur, confusing, only Just Zim made sense. Smackie frowned, dropping on the floor before Nak's tube, staring up at the boy, lost deep in thought.  
  
Smackie could barely remember anything, only the stuff that had happened within the last few days. His brow furrowed as he struggled to concentrate, to remember what had happened that would make him feel so sluggish . . .so stupid.  
  
~It had been a few days ago. He had just gotten down with basketball practice, and was heading home when Zim had stepped out from behind some bushes. Smackie had never had a particularly close relationship with the green kid, in fact, it seemed no one really did. Zim was just another popular boy that everyone followed around.  
  
Zim had grinned at Smackie, a slowly, creeping smile, then held up some sort of object resembling a gun and shot him with it. It was no human gun, though. The next few hours were a blur, a jumbled mess of memories within Smackie's mind. He could remember waking up on a strange table with wires connected to his head, and restraints hold him firmly down. Zim was standing nearby, muttering to himself, typing things on a computer. ~  
  
Smackie stood, growing frustrated, moving closer to Nak. He stared up at the lifeless form, knowing the memories were there, just wondering how to access them. He slammed a fist against the tube, growling under his breath. Maybe it was the anger growing within him, but it triggered the rest of the memory.  
  
~It was Smackie this time in the tube, suspended in a gooey liquid, unable to move anything besides his eyes. His head ached unbearably, everything hurt, and nothing seemed to work. He lifted his eyes, slowly, painfully, and saw Zim standing there, studying him intently with that diabolical grin.  
  
The walls of the tube vanished and he was left tottering there unsteadily. His vision was blurred, and nothing seemed to work quite right. Then Zim had marched forward, and said something. Smackie had no idea what Zim had said; only that it triggered something in his head. Suddenly, everything was in focus, clear as day. His limbs were under his control once more, able to do whatever it was he wanted. But he didn't want to do anything for himself; he only wanted to do what Zim wanted him to. He had to obey Zim. He had to listen to Zim. Only Zim. ~  
  
The boy jerked away from the tube, staring up at Nak in horror. Zim had done this to him, had made him this way! Zim had somehow taken whatever will Smackie had and twisted it so that his only goal was to please the alien. And he was going to do the same thing to Nak!  
  
"Smackie."  
  
It wasn't a question; it was command that echoed through his brain. Zim stood there, staring at Smackie, as if daring him. Their eyes locked momentarily, a battle of wills. Slowly, Smackie's sight dropped to the floor, the battle lost. Zim grinned triumphantly, walking over to glance at Nak then back at the other human. "Go prepare the other lab. I'm going to be doing some surgery." He ordered, smiling gleefully up at Nak.  
  
Smackie turned to obey, he had to obey, and he had no other choice. He stole one glance over his shoulder at Nak, frowned. "I obey, Just Zim," he said. He wasn't sure if it was an apology, or simply a programmed saying Zim had made him say. He didn't care. He went to go prepare the lab. 


End file.
